"There aren't many people!"
Gu Zheng glanced at the audience who had entered the theater. In the huge theater, less than 40% of the audience was seated. He could not help but be worried.
" This is the result of my recommendation with the director these few days. Otherwise, there might be even fewer people." Jackbo sighed.”
Wang Jun and the others sat down with worried expressions, but Old Merchant was able to take it easy and said with a smile,""It's fine. I think it's a good deal for dozens of people to watch a movie like this.”
Jackbo glanced at him and was about to speak when he saw a few foreigners walk into the hall and sit in the front row.
He quickly got up and ran over without saying a word.
Wang Jun saw him nodding and bowing to the foreigners with a fawning look on his face and couldn't help but ask,""Who are those people?"
" Foreign film companies, from France and Argentina," Old Merchant said." He and I met with more than 20 film companies, but none of them agreed to let us in. Only when the shortlist was out did these few companies nod their heads. However, it was only their initial intention. They all planned to wait until after watching the movie.”
Wang Jun didn't quite understand. He asked,"Well, if we can't sell it, do we have to lose money?"”
Old Merchant smiled bitterly and did not answer.
"The investors never intended to make money from this kind of art-themed film. Usually, if the cost was low and the quality was good, they would invest in it to win the award. If he won the prize, he would naturally be able to sell it. The other party had US dollars, so he could earn a few hundred thousand. Even if they didn't win the award, the investors wouldn't suffer any losses. They could even have a good reputation for supporting newcomers.”
Wang Jun didn't expect the real situation to be like this. He looked at Old Merchant again, his eyebrows drooping even lower. He kept smiling bitterly and sighed silently in his heart.
"Alright, the show is starting." Gu Zheng, who had been silent all this while, suddenly said.
As soon as he finished speaking, the lights dimmed and the screen lit up.
Other than Jia Zhang's class, no one had seen the movie before. Wang Jun also restrained his emotions and watched the movie seriously.
The opening was a potholed dirt road. A few farmers in shabby clothes stood by the roadside and looked back and forth numbly.
Then, a shabby limousine drove over. Wang Jun, Zhang Jun, and the others got into the car and said to the driver,""What's missing!"
Fangzheng's Shanxi dialect was comparable to a foreign language.
Seeing this, a few foreigners sneered.
Old Merchant glanced at them and frowned.
For a considerable number of Westerners, they liked to watch movies that portrayed China's poverty and backwardness. This was a traditional way of thinking and also represented a trend of thought in Western society. It was often called " Imagining Chinaism."
For example, they felt that China should be filled with bicycles on the streets, without high-rise buildings, and the citizens would haggle every day like they were bargaining in the market. They were ignorant and backward.
They liked to watch movies like " The Court of Autumn Chrysanthemum "," Not One Less ", and " Farewell My Concubine."
This was because these movies matched the image of China in their minds.
Why was Farewell My Concubine so famous internationally and why did it win the Palme d'Or, the only Chinese film to date?
Wasn't it because it captured everything that foreigners wanted to see?
Jia Zhangke's " Platform " was essentially a similar movie, but the difference was that his expression was more realistic and closer to the real bottom of China's society, unlike the fifth generation, which always imagined some deformed rural love story.
What he did was to present these people who lived in modern society.
Just like how the Movie Manual commented on Old Merchant," It broke away from the convention of Chinese movies.
"I told him that when he gets married one day, I'll give him six catties of money.”
Wang Jun couldn't help but smile when he heard his own Fenyang accent.
Actually, he wasn't used to watching movies that spoke Chinese with English subtitles. As he watched and compared them, bits and pieces of the filming appeared.
There were also many useless scenes that Old Merchant did not know why he wanted to shoot. When they saw them in the movie, they suddenly realized that this structure could play such a role.
He looked at Cui Mingliang on the screen, who was wearing big glasses and an ill-fitting suit. He felt strange and strange. He had watched so many movies and dramas, but this was the first time he had truly felt the wonder and magic of this light and shadow.
The camera swept across the small county town where he had stayed for two months, the streets he passed almost every day, the small restaurants he frequented, and even the hair salon where he had gone for a haircut once…
An inexplicable sense of accomplishment rose from the bottom of his heart. It was a sense of accomplishment that could not be compared to anything else. If one had to describe it specifically, it was... creation.
He created Cui Mingliang, his life, his joy, anger, sadness, and his lost love. It was not a screen image, nor was it a movie character. It was a living being whose flesh and soul were connected to him.
This feeling was so wonderful that Wang Jun felt that his life was full of life and color. This feeling made his blood boil, and even every cell was beating.
Cui Mingliang, Zhang Jun…These characters seemed to be living beside him, showing the most realistic state of life.
Movie, movie…
So this feeling was called a movie.
"Old Merchant!" Wang Jun suddenly said.
"What's wrong?" Jia Zhangke turned to look at him.
" I think, I…" Wang Jun's lips trembled. He really wanted to express something, but he couldn't describe it well. I think I understand you now…
Don't these two old masters find this disgusting?
Therefore, he could only smile and wave his hand.""It's fine, it's fine."
Jia Zhangke was at a loss. His small eyes narrowed even more, not understanding what he meant.
The viewing value of " Platform " to most Westerners was close to zero. This was because " Platform " was a personal growth reminiscence of Jia Zhangke. The film contained familiar and nostalgic scenes of the county town and the young people in the county town. Images of the past were everywhere. The film expressed respect and understanding of ordinary people through the love and life of a group of young people who walked out of the county town during the transition between the old and the new. It presented the experiences of ordinary people as important history.
Therefore, before the show was even halfway through, the audience had almost all left. Only the reporters were still standing. It was not because they liked it, but because their professional ethics made them watch the film and then go back to write their articles.
The film dealers in the first row also stood up to leave. Jacko continued to nag at the back, hoping to sell the film. His perseverance was commendable.
After nearly two hours of screening, the remaining audience members and reporters immediately stood up and left.
The premiere of Platform ended in a gloomy scene.
The few of them didn't care too much. To them, being able to come to Berlin was already a shocking joy. They couldn't ask for too much.
It was also because of this mentality that they completely let go of their burdens. Jia Zhang's classes were also very relaxed, and he wandered around with everyone all day long. Watching movies, eating, and playing cards made her feel very uncomfortable.
Wang Jun didn't know where he got Zhang Guorong's room number from, so he specially ran over to visit.
Zhang Guorong also had a good impression of this young and interesting junior. The two of them chatted happily for a while.
…………
In the 1990s, the development of information in the mainland entertainment industry was still very backward, and gossip was not as crazy as in the later generations. In addition, there were no works of the big director participating in the exhibition this time. There was only a film called " Platform " that came out of nowhere, so not a single reporter from the mainland followed them.
There were a few media outlets from Hong Kong and Taiwan, but they were not interested in wasting time on Jia Zhangke and his group. They were all paying attention to Hong Kong's number one beauty, Li Jiayin. Therefore, they had been here for a few days and had not accepted any interviews. However, it was quiet.
On the day of the closing ceremony.
Everyone in Berlin seemed to be mobilized. Wang Jun had never seen so many foreigners crowded together in his two lives. He suddenly felt that he was the real foreigner.
He looked at the long red carpet in front of him and couldn't help but smack his lips.
I actually managed to make it to the red carpet!
He watched those celebrities on TV, each of them competing with each other on the red carpet like a rose. He always felt that walking the red carpet must be a great thing.
When he stepped onto the red carpet, he realized that it was not the case at all.
He was wearing the suit that Yu Liwei had lent him. He was a little depressed. Was his life so bad that he couldn't even afford a normal suit? It was either big or small.
Old Merchant and the others were not much better than him. It was their first time walking the red carpet. When Gu Zheng was waiting, he even said smugly that he would pretend to wave his hand in greeting to intimidate the foreigners.
In the end, when he really went up, his legs were like wood that had been brushed with glue. He walked forward on the ground stiffly without even bending. Wang Jun basically couldn't see anything clearly. His eyes were dazzled by the flashes from all angles, and his ears were shocked by the cheers of the surrounding fans.
Of course, he would feel better if the flashes and cheers were for him.
Walking in front of them was the crew of " Tail Wagging Dog." Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman were used to all kinds of places and were strolling around. Behind them was the crew of " Murder of Green Toes." The Cohen brothers 'style seemed to be more in line with the European film lineage and had always been very popular at major film festivals.
Just like that, Wang Jun instantly felt the malice of the organizer's arrangements.
Look at all of them. Some of them were short and some were unattractive. They didn't even have a girl. Even the male lead wasn't handsome. Compared to others, their style was completely different!
Fortunately, Old Merchant and the others knew their limits. They did not stay on the red carpet and walked past them at the speed of going to the university cafeteria to eat.
After entering the theater, Wang Jun finally took a breath. He sank into the comfortable seat and suddenly wanted to sleep.
"Hey, hey! Samuel Jackson!" Gu Zheng lowered his voice and said excitedly, stretching his neck high.
"Robert De Niro!"
"Quentin Tarantino!"
"Allen! The old man is here too!" Gu Zheng looked at the 78-year-old man as if he had seen a god. His voice was trembling.
Wang Jun listened to him muttering names he had never heard of before. He was extremely calm and expressionless.
"Jeff Bridges!"
Gu Zheng called out another name.
"Who is it?"
Wang Jun couldn't help but ask.
"Jeff Bridges! Where?" Gu Zheng pointed.
Wang Jun was amused when he saw this. Isn't this the Governor?
After watching so many movies these few days, he had an impression of this uncle. He was really good at acting.
At this moment, the lights dimmed and the venue gradually quieted down.
The host went on stage and gave a few simple opening remarks. Then, the judges appeared. Zhang Guorong was naturally among them. His expression was very proper, but his eyes swept over Guan Jinpeng, who was sitting in front. In a second, his style changed, and he mischievously waved his hand at him.
The leader was Ben Kingsley, a bald man with a big nose. He looked very serious and didn't talk much. Wang Jun couldn't understand him anyway.
The film festival wasn't like the Oscars or Golden Globes. It was simple and clean.
After Ben Kingsley finished speaking, he immediately began to give out the awards.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]